Comcast Butchers A Classic

Earlier tonight I was watching part of a presentation by Comcast Sportsnet of Game 6 of the 1987 Stanley Cup Finals as a "Philly Sports Classic." Now, the other night their Philly Sports Classic was a lacrosse game. Seriously. The Wings won a championship way back when. Maybe it was their first. But a "classic"? Not really. However, Stanley Cup Game 6 in 1987? Absolutely classic. The Flyers, decimated by injuries. The Edmonton Oilers, at the peak of their Gretzky-led dynasty. The Edmonton papers published plans for their victory parade before Game 5, with the Oilers up 3-1, but the Flyers pulled out a win in Edmonton to bring the series back to the Spectrum, where their 3-2 win that night forced a seventh and deciding game in Edmonton.

The game found the Oilers dominating early and up 2-0, but again the Flyers fought back. Still down 2-1 with just under 8 minutes left, the Flyers got a power play and Brian Propp took advantage to tie the game, thrilling the sold-out building. Less than two minutes later, a weak Oilers clearing attempt sent the puck to the point. J.J. Daigneault fired it home and put the Flyers ahead 3-2, sending the crowd into a frenzy. Everyone who was there says the crowd was never louder in the entire history of the Spectrum than it was that night. The following video was taken from a prior rebroadcast of the game. Goosebumps guaranteed.




Unfortunately, instead of letting the video play through and capturing those two moments in their entirety, Comcast Sportsnet cut away and went to their studio so John Boruk, Rick Tocchet and Al Morganti could offer their commentary. Tocchet played in the game and Morganti covered it from the press box, so it makes sense to have them look back at the game. But not at two of the most crucial and exciting moments. This poor editing pretty much cut the drama at those moments. Thanks for nothing, Comcast Sportsnet.

My Letter To Sports Illustrated

In your new "Strike Zone" feature you've declared it to be in the "cool" zone that two NFL players punched it out on the field, but the fact that Philly fans booed -- "of course," you said -- because the wrecking ball didn't bring down the Spectrum with its first swings is way "outside." Huh?

Forget that the type of booing displayed was in jest, as it is more often than biased national media fools such as yourselves -- always ready to take your typical lazy shots at the great fans of this great city -- care to admit. But you now say that fighting in football is now "cool." In the "Sportsman of the Year" issue, yet. Stay classy, SI.

It's great timing that my subscription expires in January. I don't have to bother to cancel it -- it can just die on its own.

By the way, you totally stole your idea for "The Strike Zone" from Entertainment Weekly's "The Bullseye." (Yes, I know both magazines are part of the same company.) I guess stealing is cool now, too?


Click on the images below for larger views. We'll see if they publish it, and how it's edited if published.

On Gaga, Madonna, Canceled Shows And Twitter

In 1990 I had tickets to see Madonna in concert on her "Blond Ambition" tour. I wanted to see the show desperately, having seen her from a distance at Veterans Stadium for the "Who's That Girl" tour. This time she was set for three shows at the Spectrum, so even if I had seats at the top I would still have a closer view. And since Madonna's music was evolving into something more than the simple grooves and lyrics of, say, "Lucky Star," and the show was more complex and controversial, it was a must-see for me.

The shows sold out quickly. I did not bother waiting in line to try and buy tickets in person. Unlike today, there was (obviously) no website for ticket sales. (Also, unlike today, the Vet still existed and the Spectrum was open.) I remember buying the tickets over the phone from a ticket broker. I'm not sure how much extra I paid, although the prices weren't as ridiculously inflated as they are now. The three shows were set for June 15, 16 and 17. I bought tickets for the 15th, a Friday night.

You may remember, as documented in Truth Or Dare, that Madonna was having problems with her voice due to a sore throat and canceled a few shows during the tour.

You guessed it. The June 15th show was canceled.

Since I bought the tickets from a broker, I lost some money on the deal. I returned the tickets to the box office and was refunded the face value price only. The money wasn't what disappointed me. I was sad because I never got to see the concert.

The reason this came to mind is because Lady Gaga had to cancel a show at Purdue University tonight. Just a little while ago, she logged on to Twitter and issued a series of tweets:

I've been crying for hours, I feel like I let my fans down 2nite. An hour before the show, I was feeling dizzy and having trouble breathing

Paramedics came to take care of me, and told me my heart-rate was irregular-- a result of exhaustion and dehydration.

can't apologize enough for how sorry I am. I could hear my fans cheering from my dressing room, I begged everyone to let me go onstage.

My stage has complicated mechanical elements,everyone was concerned I'd be in danger during the 2hr show, since I had passed out earlier.

I am so devastated. I have performed with the flu, a cold, strep throat: I would never cancel a show just based on discomfort.

I hope you can forgive me. I love my little monsters more than anything, you are everything to me. I will make-up the performance on Jan 26.

I got no such declarations from Madonna 19 1/2 years ago. (Nor did she reschedule her show the way Gaga did.) For all I know, maybe she felt the same way then that Gaga does now. And for all I know, maybe something else happened tonight. The TMZ report I linked says she merely got on her tour bus and left, and school EMT's were turned away when they arrived at the venue.

But I love that there are celebrities on Twitter -- singers, athletes, actors -- communicating directly with the masses. They're sometimes funny, sometimes profane, sometimes pouring their heart out, but always much more fun than those whose tweets come from employees, or worse, those who just issue statements through publicists.

Madonna really needs to get on Twitter before the next tour.